Home » Blog

Vigilant Blog

News, trends and analysis in employment law, HR, safety & workers' comp

Recent posts

Dec 06 2024
Safety and HealthWashingtonWorkers’ Comp

Turning Rising Workers’ Comp Costs Into Big Savings

What if one of your company’s biggest challenges could become a triumph? That’s exactly what happened with a Washington engineering and fabrication company.  Facing escalating workers’ comp costs, they turned what seemed like an overwhelming problem into a meaningful success. Here’s how. The Problem: Escalating Costs   » In early 2019, the company’s EMF (Experience…

Read More
Nov 26 2024
Affirmative Action

OFCCP releases its FY2025 scheduling list

On November 20, 2024, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) released its first Corporate Scheduling Announcement List (CSAL) of Fiscal Year 2025. The list displays the names and addresses of 2,000 federal contractor locations that the OFCCP intends to review for affirmative action compliance. According to the methodology the agency published explaining how…

Read More
Nov 25 2024
Safety and HealthWashingtonWorkers’ Comp

L&I launches new light duty complaint resolution process

The Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) recently launched a new Light Duty Complaint Resolution Office, for the purpose of resolving disputes over transitional and permanent job assignments for both state fund and self-insured workers’ comp claims. This is an important (and potentially problematic) development for employers because injured workers and their attorneys now…

Read More
Nov 25 2024
Labor Relations

NLRB issues two decisions limiting employer speech about unions

The National Labor Relations Board recently announced two decisions that break with longstanding precedent and greatly restrict an employer’s ability to communicate its opinion on unions to its employees. NLRB Tightens Rules on Employer Statements About Unionization  In one decision, the Board overruled 39 years of precedent that deemed employer statements about the impact of…

Read More
Nov 25 2024
Wage and Hour

Court overturns DOL’s 2024 minimum salary for exempt employees

On November 15, 2024, a federal district court in Texas ruled that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) did not have the authority to issue a regulation earlier this year that significantly increased the minimum salary levels required for professional, administrative, and executive employees to be exempt from overtime (State of Texas v. DOL, ED…

Read More
Nov 13 2024
Wage and HourWashington

Washington L&I policy addresses work hours for minors

The Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) recently released a new Administrative Policy (ES.C.4.1) that provides guidance on scheduling and hours of work requirements for minors working in both agricultural and non-agricultural industries. The policy outlines the requirements as specified in Washington statutes (RCW 49.12, RCW 49.30, and RCW 13.64.010) and regulations (WAC 296-125-027…

Read More
Nov 13 2024
Wage and HourWorkers’ Comp

Q&A: No easy road to convert employee into independent contractor

Question: A long-term skilled employee is retiring but we anticipate still needing her expertise, so she has agreed to work for us on an as-needed hourly basis as an independent contractor. What should we be thinking about as she makes this transition to independent contractor status? Answer: Stop the presses, it’s going to be very…

Read More
Nov 12 2024
Wage and Hour

Q&A: Travel time requiring overnight stay is compensable

Question: We require one of our hourly employees to occasionally travel to some of our other facilities for a couple of days at a time. The employee generally spends the morning driving from their home to the remote facility, spends the afternoon working, stays in a hotel overnight and then spends the following morning working…

Read More
Nov 01 2024
Safety and HealthWashingtonWorkers’ Comp

Workers’ comp claim Valid? Mastering how to know.

We often hear from members that one of the most frustrating aspects of Washington workers’ compensation is claim validation (i.e. verifying that the employee’s injury or illness occurred during the course of their employment). Oftentimes, it feels like an employer is on the hook for an employee’s injury, even if the injury happened off duty…

Read More
Oct 22 2024
Wage and HourWashington

More Washington cities announce minimum wage rate increases

The cities of Renton, Seattle, SeaTac, and Tukwila recently announced their new minimum wage rates that go into effect on January 1, 2025. Unincorporated King County has not yet announced its new minimum wage rate, but we will keep members informed when the new rate is released. Renton minimum wage: The City of Renton’s new…

Read More
Oct 22 2024
Harassment & Discrimination

Q&A: You may be liable for harassment before it’s reported

Question: We recently received a discrimination and harassment claim from a former employee who quit his job. This is the first we’ve heard about these issues; they were never reported to HR. We can’t be liable for claims that were never reported, right? Answer: Wrong, you could be liable. Employers are legally responsible for any…

Read More
Oct 21 2024
Disability

Q&A: Give supervisors tools to manage employee mental health issues

Question: Our long-term, well-liked employee just quit, saying she’s been struggling with depression and anxiety for over a year. Her supervisor mentioned a few months ago that she was using sick leave more frequently and he noticed she hadn’t seemed like herself, but he didn’t follow up and she never asked for an accommodation. We’re…

Read More

Navigate complex employment issues with confidence.

As a Vigilant member, our service-first team is your dedicated partner—just one call away whenever you need us.

explore membership
Browse By Category
Browse By Topic
Filter By State
Get Our Newsletter
Sign Up Today
Connect With Us
Linkedin

Don’t Navigate Employment Issues On Your Own

Learn how Vigilant membership can help with your complex employment situations.
Get in Touch Today
Scroll to Top